Today in History - May 11

Today is Sunday, May 11, the 132nd day of 2008. There are 234 days left in the year. This is Mother's Day.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became the 32nd state of the Union.

On this date:

In 1502, Christopher Columbus left Cadiz, Spain, on his fourth and final trip to the Western Hemisphere.

In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam to become governor of New Netherland.

In 1888, songwriter Irving Berlin was born Israel Baline in Temun, Russia.

In 1910, Glacier National Park in Montana was established.

In 1944, Allied forces launched a major offensive against German lines in Italy.

In 1946, the first CARE packages arrived in Europe, at Le Havre, France.

In 1973, charges against Daniel Ellsberg for his role in the "Pentagon Papers" case were dismissed by Judge William M. Byrne, who cited government misconduct.

In 1985, 56 people died when a flash fire swept a jam-packed soccer stadium in Bradford, England.

In 1988, master spy Harold "Kim" Philby, the notorious "Third Man" of a British espionage ring, died in the Soviet Union at age 76.

In 1996, an Atlanta-bound ValuJet DC-9 caught fire shortly after takeoff from Miami and crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing all 110 people on board.

Ten years ago: India set off three underground atomic blasts, its first nuclear tests in 24 years. Attorney General Janet Reno requested an independent counsel to investigate Labor Secretary Alexis Herman for alleged influence-peddling and solicitation of illegal campaign contributions. Herman was later cleared. A French mint produced the first coins of Europe's single currency, the euro.

Five years ago: The United States declared Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's Baath Party dead. Lithuania became the first ex-Soviet republic to approve entry into the European Union as voters completed a weekend referendum. Canada beat Sweden 3-2 in Finland to win its first hockey world championship in six years.

One year ago: Speaking aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in the Persian Gulf, Vice President Dick Cheney warned Iran that the U.S. and its allies would keep it from restricting sea traffic as well as from developing nuclear weapons. North and South Korea adopted a military agreement, enabling the first train crossing of their border in more than half a century.

Today's Birthdays: Comedian Mort Sahl is 81. Rock singer Eric Burdon (The Animals; War) is 67. Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo is 56. Actress Frances Fisher is 56. Actor Boyd Gaines is 55. Country musician Mark Herndon (Alabama) is 53. Actress Martha Quinn is 49. Actress Natasha Richardson is 45. Country singer-musician Tim Raybon (The Raybon Brothers) is 45. Country musician Keith West (Heartland) is 40. Actor Coby Bell is 33. Actor Jonathan Jackson is 26.

Thought for Today: "A mother never realizes that her children are no longer children." — Holbrook Jackson, British critic and historian (1874-1948).

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ss...ylist=national

Today is Monday, May 12, the 133rd day of 2008. There are 233 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 12, 1958, the United States and Canada signed an agreement to create the North American Air Defense Command (later the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD for short).

On this date:

In 1870, an act creating the Canadian province of Manitoba was given royal assent, to take effect in July.

In 1907, actress Katharine Hepburn was born in Hartford, Conn.

In 1932, the body of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the kidnapped son of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, was found in a wooded area near Hopewell, N.J.

In 1937, Britain's King George VI was crowned at Westminster Abbey.

In 1943, during World War II, Axis forces in North Africa surrendered.

In 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the Berlin Blockade.

In 1970, the Senate voted unanimously to confirm Harry A. Blackmun as a Supreme Court justice.

In 1975, the White House announced the new Cambodian government had seized an American merchant ship, the Mayaguez, in international waters.

In 1978, the Commerce Department said hurricanes would no longer be given only female names.

In 1982, in Fatima, Portugal, security guards overpowered a Spanish priest armed with a bayonet who was trying to reach Pope John Paul II.

Ten years ago: A day after India's first atomic test blasts in 24 years, neighboring Pakistan said it was ready to test a nuclear device itself. Indonesian President Suharto's security forces killed at least six student demonstrators.

Five years ago: Suicide bombers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed nine U.S. citizens and 26 people overall. A suicide truck-bomb attack killed at least 60 at a government compound in northern Chechnya. L. Paul Bremer, the new American civilian administrator of Iraq, arrived in Baghdad; coalition forces announced they had taken custody of Dr. Rihab Rashid Taha, the Iraqi scientist known as "Dr. Germ." (Taha was later released after no charges were brought.) Fifty-nine Democratic lawmakers brought the Texas House to a standstill by going into hiding in a dispute over a Republican congressional redistricting plan.

One year ago: Virginia Tech held its first commencement ceremonies since the April 16 shooting rampage that claimed 32 victims and the shooter. Voters in the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch became the first in the nation to back an ordinance prohibiting landlords from renting to most illegal immigrants. A U.S. patrol was attacked south of Baghdad; four Americans and an Iraqi interpreter were killed, three soldiers were captured. (The body of one abducted soldier was later found in the Euphrates River.) A U.S.-led coalition operation supported by NATO troops killed the Taliban's most prominent military commander, Mullah Dadullah.

Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra is 83. Critic John Simon is 83. Composer Burt Bacharach is 80. Comedian George Carlin is 71. Actress Millie Perkins is 70. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jayotis Washington is 67. Country singer Billy Swan is 66. Actress Linda Dano is 65. Musician Ian McLagan is 63. Actress Lindsay Crouse is 60. Singer-musician Steve Winwood is 60. Actor Gabriel Byrne is 58. Actor Bruce Boxleitner is 58. Singer Billy Squier is 58. Country singer Kix Brooks is 53. Actress Kim Greist is 50. Actor Ving Rhames is 49. Rock musician Billy Duffy is 47. Actor Emilio Estevez is 46. Actress April Grace is 46. Actress Vanessa A. Williams ("Soul Food") is 45. Country musician Eddie Kilgallon is 43. Actor Stephen Baldwin is 42. Actor Scott Schwartz is 40. Actress Kim Fields is 39. Actress Samantha Mathis is 38. Actress Jamie Luner is 37. Actor Christian Campbell is 36. Actor Mackenzie Astin is 35. Actress Malin Akerman is 30. Actor Jason Biggs is 30. Actress Emily VanCamp is 22. Actor Malcolm David Kelley is 16. Actors Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten ("Everybody Loves Raymond") are 13.

Thought for Today: "Act well at the moment, and you have performed a good action to all eternity." — Johann Kaspar Lavater, Swiss theologian (1741-1801).


http://ap.augustachronicle.com/pstor...78060157.shtml

__________________
Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.

Today in History - May 13

Today is Tuesday, May 13, the 134th day of 2008. There are 232 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 13, 1918, the first U.S. airmail stamps, featuring a picture of a Curtiss JN-4 biplane, were introduced with a face value of 24 cents. (On a few of the stamps, the biplane was printed upside-down; the "inverted Jenny," as it came to be called, instantly became a collector's item.)

On this date:

In 1607, English colonists arrived by ship at the site of what became the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. (The colonists went ashore the next day.)

In 1846, the United States declared that a state of war already existed with Mexico.

In 1917, three children near Fatima, Portugal, reported seeing a vision of the Virgin Mary.

In 1940, in his first speech as prime minister of Britain, Winston Churchill told the House of Commons, "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

In 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Act.

In 1954, the musical play "The Pajama Game" opened on Broadway.

In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, were spat upon and their limousine battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela.

In 1968, a one-day general strike took place in France in support of student protesters.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and seriously wounded in St. Peter's Square by Turkish assailant Mehmet Ali Agca.

In 1985, a confrontation between Philadelphia authorities and the radical group MOVE ended as police dropped an explosive onto the group's headquarters; 11 people died in the resulting fire.

Ten years ago: President Clinton ordered harsh sanctions against an unapologetic India, which had gone ahead with a second round of nuclear tests despite global criticism.

Five years ago: A judge ruled that Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols should stand trial in state court on 160 counts of first-degree murder. (Nichols was later found guilty on 161 counts; the 161st count was for the fetus of a pregnant victim. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison.) The government unveiled a new and more colorful version of the $20 bill. Algerian army commandos freed 17 European tourists who'd been kidnapped in the Sahara Desert by an al-Qaida-linked terror group.

One year ago: President Bush made a pilgrimage to the site of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia to mark the 400th anniversary of its founding. Pope Benedict the XVI, ending a five-day visit to Brazil, blamed both Marxism and unbridled capitalism for Latin America's problems. Canada won hockey's world championship with a 4-2 victory over Finland.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Beatrice Arthur is 86. Critic Clive Barnes is 81. Actor Buck Taylor is 70. Actor Harvey Keitel is 69. Author Charles Baxter is 61. Actor Franklyn Ajaye is 59. Actress Zoe Wanamaker is 59. Singer Stevie Wonder is 58. Basketball player Dennis Rodman is 47. Actor-comedian Stephen Colbert is 44. Actor Tom Verica is 44. Country singer Lari White is 43. Singer Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 42. Actress Susan Floyd is 40. Contemporary Christian musician Andy Williams (Casting Crowns) is 36. Actress Samantha Morton is 31. Rock musician Mickey Madden (Maroon 5) is 29.

Thought for Today: "A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by a common hatred of its neighbours." — William Ralph Inge, English religious leader and author (1860-1954).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/...n_hi/history_1

__________________
Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.

Today is Wednesday, May 14, the 135th day of 2008. There are 231 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 14, 1948, according to the common-era calendar, the independent state of Israel was proclaimed in Tel Aviv.

On this date:

In 1607, English colonists went ashore in Virginia to begin building a permanent settlement, named Jamestown after England's King James I.

In 1643, Louis the XIV became King of France at age 4 upon the death of his father, Louis the XIII.

In 1796, English physician Edward Jenner succeeded in inoculating 8-year-old James Phipps against smallpox by using cowpox matter.

In 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory left camp near St. Louis.

In 1900, the Olympic games opened in Paris, held as part of the World's Fair.

In 1942, Congress voted to establish the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps.

In 1942, Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" was first performed, by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

In 1973, the United States launched Skylab 1, its first manned space station.

In 1987, actress Rita Hayworth died in New York at age 68.

In 1988, 27 people, mostly teens, were killed when their church bus collided with a pickup truck going the wrong way on a highway near Carrollton, Ky. (Truck driver Larry Mahoney served 9 1/2 years in prison for manslaughter).


Ten years ago: Singer-actor Frank Sinatra died at a Los Angeles hospital at age 82. The hit sitcom "Seinfeld" aired its final episode after nine years on NBC.

Five years ago: Smugglers abandoned more than 100 illegal immigrants in a locked trailer at a Texas truck stop; 19 people died. In Chechnya, a female suicide bombing killed 18 people in an apparent attempt on the life of the Moscow-backed chief administrator, Akhmad Kadyrov. Death claimed actress Dame Wendy Hiller in Beaconsfield, England, at age 90; actor Robert Stack in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 84; and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Dave DeBusschere in New York at age 62.

One year ago: DaimlerChrysler said it was selling almost all of Chrysler to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management for $7.4 billion, backing out of a troubled 1998 takeover. The trial of suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla opened in Miami. (Padilla and two co-defendants were convicted last August of terrorism conspiracy; Padilla was sentenced to 17 years in prison.)

Today's Birthdays: Opera singer Patrice Munsel is 83. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is 66. Rock singer-musician Jack Bruce (Cream) is 65. Movie producer George Lucas is 64. Actress Meg Foster is 60. Rock singer David Byrne is 56. Movie director Robert Zemeckis is 56. Actor Tim Roth is 47. Rock singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 46. Rock musician C.C. (aka Cecil) DeVille is 46. Actor Danny Huston is 46. Rock musician Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) is 42. Fabrice Morvan (ex-Milli Vanilli) is 42. Rhythm-and-blues singer Raphael Saadiq is 42. Actress Cate Blanchett is 39. Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 39. Movie writer-director Sofia Coppola is 37. Singer Natalie Appleton (All Saints) is 35. Singer Shanice is 35. Rock musician Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys) is 30. Actress Amber Tamblyn is 25. Actress Miranda Cosgrove is 15.

Thought for Today: "Ah, les bons vieux temps ou nous etions si malheureux!" (Oh, the good old times when we were so unhappy!) — French saying.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/...n_hi/history_1

__________________
Marwatone.

Today in History - May 15

Today is Thursday, May 15, the 136th day of 2008. There are 230 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 15, 1918, U.S. airmail began service between Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

On this date:

In 1911, the Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil Co., ruling it was a monopoly in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

In 1930, registered nurse Ellen Church, the first airline stewardess, went on duty aboard an Oakland, Calif.-to-Chicago flight operated by Boeing Air Transport, a forerunner of United Airlines.

In 1942, wartime gasoline rationing went into effect in 17 eastern states, limiting sales to three gallons a week for nonessential vehicles.

In 1948, hours after declaring its independence, the new state of Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

In 1958, Vice President Richard Nixon received a hero's welcome on his return from a violence-marred tour of Latin America.

In 1958, the MGM movie musical "Gigi," starring Leslie Caron as a young French courtesan-in-training, was released.

In 1963, astronaut L. Gordon Cooper blasted off aboard Faith 7 on the final mission of the Project Mercury space program.

In 1972, George C. Wallace was shot by Arthur Bremer and left paralyzed while campaigning in Laurel, Md., for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In 1975, U.S. forces invaded the Cambodian island of Koh Tang and recaptured the American merchant ship Mayaguez. (All 40 crew members had already been released safely by Cambodia; some 40 U.S. servicemen were killed in the operation.)

In 1988, the Soviet Union began the process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, more than eight years after Soviet forces had entered the country.

Ten years ago: Trapped in blazing shopping malls, hundreds of looters burned to death in rioting that laid smoking waste to Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. Leaders of eight countries, including the U.S., opened a three-day summit in Birmingham, England.

Five years ago: Emergency officials rushed to a series of mock catastrophes in the Chicago area on the busiest day of a national weeklong exercise. Runaway Texas Democrats boarded two buses and returned home after a self-imposed weeklong exile in Oklahoma that succeeded in killing a redistricting bill they opposed. The three-year championship reign of the Los Angeles Lakers came to a decisive end as the San Antonio Spurs overpowered the Lakers 110-82 to win the Western Conference semifinal series 4-to-2. Country music star June Carter Cash died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 73.

One year ago: The Rev. Jerry Falwell, who built the Christian right into a political force, died in Lynchburg, Va., at age 73. Yolanda King, the daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 51. President Bush chose Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute to oversee the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a war czar. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern became the first Irish leader to address the joint houses of the British Parliament. Kenny Chesney collected his third consecutive entertainer of the year trophy from the Academy of Country Music.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Eddy Arnold is 90. Actor Joseph Wiseman is 90. Playwright Sir Peter Shaffer ("Amadeus") is 82. Actress-singer Anna Maria Alberghetti is 72. Counterculture icon Wavy Gravy is 72. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is 71. Singer Trini Lopez is 71. Singer Lenny Welch is 70. Actress-singer Lainie Kazan is 68. Actor-director Paul Rudd ("Knots Landing") is 68. Country singer K.T. Oslin is 66. Singer-songwriter Brian Eno is 60. Actor Nicholas Hammond ("The Sound of Music") is 58. Actor Chazz Palminteri is 56. Baseball Hall-of-Famer George Brett is 55. Musician-composer Mike Oldfield ("Tubular Bells") is 55. Actor Lee Horsley is 53. TV personality Giselle Fernandez is 47. Singer-rapper Prince Be (PM Dawn) is 38. Actor Brad Rowe is 38. Actor David Charvet is 36. Rock musician Ahmet Zappa is 34. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Amy Chow is 30. Actor David Krumholtz ("Numb3rs") is 30. Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler is 27.

Thought for Today: "People love to talk but hate to listen." — Alice Duer Miller, American author (1874-1942).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/...n_hi/history_1

__________________
Marwatone.

Today in History - May 16

Today is Friday, May 16, the 137th day of 2008. There are 229 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 16, 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented during a banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The movie "Wings" won best production, while Emil Jannings and Janet Gaynor were named best actor and best actress.

On this date:

In 1770, Marie Antoinette, age 14, married the future King Louis XVI of France, who was 15.

In 1866, Congress authorized minting of the first 5-cent piece, also known as the "Shield nickel."

In 1868, the Senate failed by one vote to convict President Andrew Johnson as it took its first ballot on the 11 articles of impeachment against him.

In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV.

In 1946, the Irving Berlin musical "Annie Get Your Gun," starring Ethel Merman as Annie Oakley, opened on Broadway.

In 1948, the body of CBS News correspondent George Polk was found in Solonica Harbor in Greece, several days after he had left his hotel for an interview with the leader of a Communist militia.

In 1960, a Big Four summit conference in Paris collapsed on its opening day as the Soviet Union leveled spy charges against the U.S. in the wake of the U-2 incident.

In 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled that police can search discarded garbage without a search warrant.

In 1988, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop released a report declaring nicotine was addictive in ways similar to heroin and cocaine.

Ten years ago: Real Quiet added a victory in the Preakness to his win in the Kentucky Derby. (However, Real Quiet later failed to capture the Triple Crown, losing the Belmont Stakes to Victory Gallop by a nose.)

Five years ago: President Bush launched his re-election campaign. The Senate committed $15 billion to fight global AIDS. In Casablanca, Morocco, five simultaneous suicide attacks claimed the lives of 33 victims, in addition to a dozen suicide bombers.

One year ago: Anti-war Democrats in the Senate failed in an attempt to cut off funds for the Iraq war. Britain's army reversed course and announced that Prince Harry would not be sent to Iraq with his regiment due to "specific threats" from insurgents. (The prince did end up serving in Afghanistan for 10 weeks, until word of his deployment got out.) British Prime Minister Tony Blair paid a farewell visit to President Bush at the White House. Nicolas Sarkozy took over from Jacques Chirac as France's president.

Today's Birthdays: Author Studs Terkel is 96. Actor George Gaynes is 91. Actor Harry Carey Jr. is 87. Jazz musician Billy Cobham is 64. Actor Bill Smitrovich is 61. Actor Pierce Brosnan is 55. Actress Debra Winger is 53. Soviet-born gymnast Olga Korbut is 53. Actress Mare Winningham is 49. Rock musician Boyd Tinsley (The Dave Matthews Band) is 44. Rock musician Krist Novoselic is 43. Singer Janet Jackson is 42. Country singer Scott Reeves (Blue County) is 42. Actor Brian F. O'Byrne is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ralph Tresvant (New Edition) is 40. Actor David Boreanaz is 39. Political correspondent Tucker Carlson is 39. Actress Tracey Gold is 39. Tennis player Gabriela Sabatini is 38. Country singer Rick Trevino is 37. Musician Simon Katz is 37. Actress Tori Spelling is 35. Actress Melanie Lynskey is 31. Actress Megan Fox is 22. Actor Marc John Jefferies is 18.

Thought for Today: "Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them." — Alfred North Whitehead, English philosopher-mathematician (1861-1947).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080516/...n_hi/history_1

__________________
Marwatone.

Today in History - May 17

Today is Saturday, May 17, the 138th day of 2008. There are 228 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, which found that racially segregated public schools were inherently unequal, and therefore unconstitutional.

On this date:

In 1792, the New York Stock Exchange had its origins as a group of brokers met under a tree on Wall Street.

In 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was run; the winner was Aristides.

In 1938, Congress passed the Second Vinson Act, providing for a strengthened U.S. Navy.

In 1938, the radio quiz show "Information, Please!" made its debut on the NBC Blue Network.

In 1939, Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth arrived in Quebec on the first visit to Canada by reigning British sovereigns.

In 1946, President Truman seized control of the nation's railroads, delaying — but not preventing — a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.

In 1973, the Senate began its televised hearings into the Watergate scandal.

In 1978, women were included in the White House honor guard for the first time as President Carter welcomed Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.

In 1980, rioting that claimed 18 lives erupted in Miami after an all-white jury in Tampa, Fla., acquitted four former Miami police officers of fatally beating black insurance executive Arthur McDuffie.

In 1987, 37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. (Iraq and the U.S. called the attack a mistake.)

Ten years ago: Leaders of the Group of Eight nations ended their summit in Birmingham, England, with a plea to Pakistan not to respond in kind to India's five nuclear explosions. New York Yankees pitcher David Wells became the 13th player in modern major league baseball history to throw a perfect game as he retired all 27 batters he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Five years ago: A top Vatican official, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, acknowledged what many observers had long suspected — that Pope John Paul II was suffering from Parkinson's disease. A German tour bus overturned on a highway in France, killing 28 people. A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in the West Bank city of Hebron, killing an Israeli man and his pregnant wife. More than 260 people died in Sri Lanka's worst flooding in five decades. Funny Cide ran away from the field in the Preakness, two weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby. (However, Funny Cide came up short at the Belmont Stakes, finishing third.)

One year ago: President Bush and retiring British Prime Minister Tony Blair held a joint news conference at the White House, during which Blair allowed not a single regret about the Iraq war alliance. World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz announced he would resign at the end of June 2007, following controversy over his handling of a pay package for his girlfriend. Trains crossed the border dividing the two Koreas for the first time in more than half a century.

Today's Birthdays: Actor-director Dennis Hopper is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Pervis Jackson (The Spinners) is 70. Actor Peter Gerety is 68. Singer Taj Mahal is 66. Singer-songwriter Jesse Winchester is 64. Rock musician Bill Bruford is 59. Singer-musician George Johnson (The Brothers Johnson) is 55. TV personality Kathleen Sullivan is 55. Actor Bill Paxton is 53. Boxing Hall-of-Famer Sugar Ray Leonard is 52. Actor-comedian Bob Saget is 52. Sports announcer Jim Nantz is 49. Singer Enya is 47. Talk show host-actor Craig Ferguson is 46. Rock singer-musician Page McConnell is 45. Singer-musician Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 43. Actress Paige Turco is 43. Rhythm-and-blues musician O'Dell (Mint Condition) is 43. Actor Hill Harper is 42. TV personality/interior designer Thom Filicia is 39. Singer Jordan Knight is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Darnell Van Rensalier (Shai) is 38. Rock singer-musician Josh Homme is 35. Rock singer Andrea Corr (The Corrs) is 34. Actor Sendhil Ramamurthy (TV: "Heroes") is 34. Singer Kandi Burruss is 32. Actress Kat Foster (TV: " 'Til Death") is 30. Basketball player Tony Parker is 26. Actor Tahj Mowry is 22. Actress Nikki Reed is 20. Actress Samantha Browne-Walters is 17.

Thought for Today: "Have no fear of perfection — you'll never reach it." — Salvador Dali, Spanish artist (1904-1989).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080517/...n_hi/history_1

__________________
Marwatone.

Today in History - May 18

Today is Sunday, May 18, the 139th day of 2008. There are 227 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 18, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure creating the Tennessee Valley Authority.

On this date:

In 1642, the Canadian city of Montreal was founded by French colonists.

In 1804, the French Senate proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte emperor.

In 1896, the Supreme Court, in Plessy v. Ferguson, endorsed "separate but equal" racial segregation, a concept that was renounced 58 years later with Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

In 1920, Pope John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland.

In 1926, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished while visiting a beach in Venice, Calif.; she reappeared more than a month later, claiming to have been kidnapped.

In 1927, a schoolhouse in Bath, Mich., was blown up with explosives planted by local farmer Andrew Kehoe, who then set off a dynamite-laden automobile; the attacks killed 38 children and six adults, including Kehoe, who'd earlier killed his wife.

In 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier as she piloted a North American F-86 Canadair over Rogers Dry Lake, Calif.

In 1967, Tennessee Gov. Buford Ellington signed a measure repealing the law against teaching evolution that was used to prosecute John T. Scopes in 1925.

In 1980, the Mount St. Helens volcano in Washington state exploded, leaving 57 people dead or missing.

In 1991, Helen Sharman became the first British citizen to rocket into space as she flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft with two cosmonauts on an eight-day mission.

Ten years ago: The government filed an antitrust case against Microsoft Corp., saying the powerful software company had a "choke hold" on competitors that was denying consumers important choices about how they bought and used computers. (The Justice Department and Microsoft reached a settlement in 2001.) The Supreme Court ruled that even public broadcasting stations owned and run by states need not invite marginal candidates to political debates they sponsor.

Five years ago: A Hamas suicide attacker disguised as an observant Jew killed seven Israeli bus passengers. Pope John Paul II celebrated his 83rd birthday with an open-air Mass and requests for prayers so he could continue his papacy. "Les Miserables" closed on Broadway after more than 16 years and 6,680 performances.

One year ago: The White House and Congress failed to strike a deal after exchanging competing offers on an Iraq war spending bill that Democrats said should set a date for U.S. troops to leave. French President Nicolas Sarkozy named a radically revamped cabinet which included seven women among its 15 members.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Bill Macy is 86. Sportscaster Jack Whitaker is 84. Actor Pernell Roberts is 80. Actor Robert Morse is 77. Actor and television executive Dwayne Hickman is 74. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Brooks Robinson is 71. Bluegrass singer-musician Rodney Dillard (The Dillards) is 66. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Reggie Jackson is 62. Actress Candice Azzara is 61. Country singer Joe Bonsall (The Oak Ridge Boys) is 60. Rock musician Rick Wakeman (Yes) is 59. Actor James Stephens is 57. Country singer George Strait is 56. Rhythm-and-blues singer Butch Tavares (Tavares) is 55. Actor Chow Yun-Fat is 53. Rock singer-musician Page Hamilton is 48. Contemporary Christian musician Barry Graul (MercyMe) is 47. Singer-actress Martika is 39. Comedian-writer Tina Fey is 38. Rapper Special Ed is 34. Rock singer Jack Johnson is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Darryl Allen (Mista) is 28. Actor Matt Long is 28. Christian-rock musician Kevin Huguley (Rush of Fools) is 26. Actor Spencer Breslin is 16.

Thought for Today: "Life is a joke that's just begun." — W.S. Gilbert, English librettist (1836-1911).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080518/...n_hi/history_1

__________________
Marwatone.

Today in History - May 19

Today is Monday, May 19, the 140th day of 2008. There are 226 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On May 19, 1935, British soldier T.E. Lawrence, also known as "Lawrence of Arabia," died in Dorset, England, six days after being injured in a motorcycle crash.

On this date:

In 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded after being convicted of adultery.

In 1643, delegates from four New England colonies met in Boston to form a confederation.

In 1943, in an address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his country's full support in the fight against Japan.

In 1958, British actor Ronald Colman died in Santa Barbara, Calif., at age 67.

In 1962, during a Democratic fundraiser at New York's Madison Square Garden, actress Marilyn Monroe performed a sultry rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" for guest-of-honor President Kennedy.

In 1964, the State Department disclosed that 40 hidden microphones had been found in the U.S. embassy in Moscow.

In 1967, the Soviet Union ratified a treaty with the United States and Britain banning nuclear weapons from outer space.

In 1992, the 27th Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits Congress from giving itself pay raises until the next congressional term, went into effect.

In 1992, in Massapequa, N.Y., Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot and seriously wounded by her husband Joey's teen-age lover, Amy Fisher.

In 1994, former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in New York at age 64.

Ten years ago: Millions of pagers nationwide stopped working when a communications satellite, the Galaxy IV, suddenly lost track of Earth. Bandits stole three of Rome's most important paintings, two by van Gogh and one by Cezanne, from the National Gallery of Modern Art. (The paintings were recovered two months later by police.)

Five years ago: WorldCom Inc. agreed to pay investors $500 million to settle civil fraud charges. The Supreme Court dealt a defeat to the drug industry, ruling 6-3 that a state may try to force companies to lower prices on prescription medications for the poor and uninsured. A Palestinian woman blew herself up during a security check outside a mall, killing three Israelis in the fifth suicide bombing in 48 hours.

One year ago: Group of Eight financial officials wrapped up two days of talks in Germany by calling for more aid, increased debt relief and responsible lending to Africa. Curlin nipped Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense to win the Preakness Stakes.

Today's Birthdays: PBS newscaster Jim Lehrer is 74. TV personality David Hartman is 73. Actor James Fox is 69. Actress Nancy Kwan is 69. Author-director Nora Ephron is 67. Actor Peter Mayhew is 64. Rock singer-composer Pete Townshend (The Who) is 63. Concert pianist David Helfgott is 61. Rock singer-musician Dusty Hill (ZZ Top) is 59. Singer-actress Grace Jones is 56. Rock musician Phil Rudd (AC-DC) is 54. Baseball catcher Rick Cerone is 54. Actor Steven Ford is 52. Rock musician Iain Harvie (Del Amitri) is 46. Actor Jason Gray-Stanford is 38. Rock singer Jenny Berggren (Ace of Base) is 36. Actor Drew Fuller is 28. Actor Eric Lloyd is 22.

Thought for Today: "Life is never so bad at its worst that it is impossible to live; it is never so good at its best that it is easy to live." — Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (1890-1972).

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...lBMYQD90OFOUO1

__________________
Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.

Today in History - May 20

Tue May 20, 12: 01 AM ET

Today is Tuesday, May 20, the 141st day of 2008. There are 225 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

One hundred years ago, on May 20, 1908, actor James Stewart was born in Indiana, Pa.

On this date:

In 1506, explorer Christopher Columbus died in Spain.

In 1861, North Carolina voted to secede from the Union.

In 1902, the United States ended a three-year military presence in Cuba as the Republic of Cuba was established under its first elected president, Tomas Estrada Palma.

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, N.Y., aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (Because of weather and equipment problems, Earhart set down in Northern Ireland instead of her intended destination, France.)

In 1939, trans-Atlantic mail service began as a Pan American Airways plane, the Yankee Clipper, took off from Port Washington, N.Y., bound for Europe.

In 1961, a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in U.S. marshals to restore order.

In 1969, U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as "Hamburger Hill" by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

In 1988, Laurie Dann, 30, walked into a Winnetka, Ill., elementary school classroom, where she shot to death 8-year-old Nicholas Corwin and wounded several other children. After wounding a young man at his home, Dann took her own life.

In 1993, an estimated 93 million people tuned in for the final first-run episode of "Cheers" on NBC.

Ten years ago: The government unveiled the design for the new $20 bill, featuring a larger and slightly off-center portrait of Andrew Jackson. In Beverly Hills, Calif., Hollywood royalty bid farewell to Frank Sinatra, who had died almost a week earlier at age 82, in a private, invitation-only funeral.

Five years ago: The Bush administration, concerned that a wave of attacks overseas could spread to the United States, raised the terrorism alert level to orange. The United States banned all beef imports from Canada after a lone case of mad cow disease was discovered in the heart of Canada's cattle country.

One year ago: President Bush welcomed NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to his Crawford, Texas, ranch, to review strategy on a flurry of issues. A gunman fired nearly 300 shots during a rampage in Moscow, Idaho, that killed three people and wounded three others. (The shooter, Jason Hamilton, took his own life.) A pair of investment firms agreed to acquire Alltel Corp., the fifth-biggest U.S. wireless company and owner of the nation's largest geographic network, in a deal worth $27.5 billion.

Today's Birthdays: Actor James McEachin is 78. Actor Anthony Zerbe is 72. Actor David Proval is 66. Singer Joe Cocker is 64. Singer-actress Cher is 62. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 59. Musician Warren Cann is 56. Actor Dean Butler is 52. Ron Reagan is 50. Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 50. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 49. Singer Susan Cowsill is 49. Actor John Billingsley is 48. Actor Tony Goldwyn is 48. Singer Nick Heyward is 47. TV personality Ted Allen is 43. Actress Mindy Cohn is 42. Rock musician Tom Gorman (Belly) is 42. Actress Gina Ravera is 42. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 40. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 36. Actor Matt Czuchry is 31. Actress Angela Goethals is 31. Rhythm-and-blues singer Naturi Naughton is 24.

Thought for Today: "If I had my career over again? Maybe I'd say to myself, speed it up a little." — James Stewart, American actor (1908-1997).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/history

__________________
Regards

Aarwaa

Pakistan is ruled by three As - Army, America and Allah.